New Balance FuelCell Rebel v5 Review

Comfort and Fit

This iteration of the Rebel addressed many of the complaints we had about the previous one; most of those were related to comfort. Thanks to a newly padded heel area, we no longer experience rubbing against our Achilles. The heel collar feels slightly more flexible than the previous version, which also enhances the comfort.

The upper is lightweight and race-inspired, using an airy engineered mesh. It's somewhat abrasive on the exterior, but we never had issues with rubbing on our feet. Runners who prefer to run without socks may have a different experience. Padding along the heel collar prevents heel lift, and the lightly padded and gusseted tongue does an excellent job of distributing lace pressure.

The overall fit still runs a little short. We noticed our toes pressing against the front of the shoe a few times, although adding a heel lock to our lacing helped mitigate the issue. The toe box is spacious, with ample room for your toes to splay. The midfoot remains wide, which can cause some sliding in the shoe if you have average or narrow-width feet. The heel is wider as well. While the upper is solid, the fit is slightly off compared to competitors. It works well for running, but the race-inspired upper is definitely best for running rather than everyday wear.

Cushioning

The New Balance FuelCell foam is a PEBA/EVA blend. The foam feels lightweight and very soft underfoot, with a significant amount of energy return from the material. PEBA-based foams are lightweight and highly resilient, meaning they compress and quickly rebound to their original form. Some research has indicated PEBA foams increase a runner's efficiency when compared to traditional EVA. Long story short, this type of foam often feels both soft and bouncy, and really fun to run in, much like the Rebel itself.

There's 34 mm of stack height and a 7 mm heel-to-toe drop. The total stack height is lower than that of several competitors, but we didn't find it to be an issue. We noticed the Rebel felt like a shoe with a noticeably lower drop than we measured. This feeling might be due to the soft and highly compressible foam.

The Rebel feels like it has above-average cushioning. However, the cushioning isn't the most protective. We could feel sharp rocks through the shoe, particularly when they were under the arch of our foot, where there is no rubber outsole. Our lower legs took a little more of a beating than normal on runs over 90 minutes. The soreness could be attributed to a lack of stability; the soft foam feels good, but it is a little mushy and does little to prevent side-to-side motion. Overall, if you prefer a soft shoe, you will appreciate the cushioning. Runners who prefer a medium-firm feel or some support may not like it as much.

Breathability

The Rebel earns high marks in the breathability department thanks to the race-inspired upper. It's lightweight, airy, and exceptionally breathable towards the toe box.

We had no issues with warm feet even when running on very hot, 90+ degree summer afternoons.

Traction

The Rebel offers average traction. There is plenty of grip on wet and cold pavement thanks to the siping and triangular-shaped outsole pattern. The grooves are also deep enough to provide adequate traction on crushed gravel paths and dirt roads, but the shoe slipped slightly when we increased our pace on those surfaces.

Should You Buy the New Balance FuelCell Rebel v5?

We think the Rebel is one of the best all-around daily trainers. It has a passionate fan base for a reason; it's lightweight, fun to run in, and quite comfortable. On the other hand, the soft foam may not be suitable for everyone. Runners who need support will want to steer clear, and those with narrow feet may encounter fit issues. We believe this shoe is ideal for runners seeking a fast-feeling shoe with soft landings and decent comfort.

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